Penne with Vodka Tomato Sauce

         A couple years back I grabbed a bottle of Newman's Own Vodka Sauce from the store shelf. Not sure what compelled me. Not so much one to down any amount of vodka on any basis, really, I don't know what would have piqued my interest. But, I'm so glad something did. This, since, has been my very favorite pasta sauce. I love a basic marinara, though it occasionally leaves me wanting. And a classic alfredo is heavenly, but often so heavy that I feel overwhelmed with cream after a few bites. This sauce, then, in my mind, is the perfect marriage of the two.
          I decided to make a homemade version a couple weeks ago. Grocery list in hand, I first be-bopped into a classy liquor store down the street (clearly sarcasm if you knew my surrounding neighborhood), probably in pigtails, and asked the lady at the counter how I might most economically purchase 4 tablespoons of vodka. She looked at me like she didn't understand, then proceeded to wordlessly reach for a tiny 2 ounce sample bottle of Smirnoff in a basket on the counter. Well, there we have it. I paid my $1.25 and skipped back out into the rain with my also tiny paper bag. I got in the car and laughed. If you know me at all, the idea of me in a liquor store is just slightly humorous. But, I digress. This sauce is made perfect by the vodka addition. Just 2 tablespoons cooked in and it's given a luscious depth of flavor. Altogether, this takes about 20 minutes-ish to heat up on the stove, so, essentially, you can prep the rest of the meal and cook your pasta while the sauce simmers. I made a marvelous loaf of bread to go with this dish, and about died dipping it in olive oil and freshly grated parmesan. Is there anything better? Oy. Have I ever mentioned I love food? Well, give this a try. You'll fall in love, I guarantee it. Buon appetito! (that's Italian, i think. i had to look it up.)

Whole Wheat Penne with Vodka Tomato Sauce

borrowed from gonnawantseconds.blogspot.com

serves 3-4

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

a pinch or so crushed red pepper

salt, to taste

1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes in puree

1 pound penne (or another pasta of choice)

2 tablespoons vodka

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

freshly grated parmesan cheese

directions:

1. In large, unheated skillet, combine oil, garlic, red pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over low-medium heat for about 3 minutes. Do not let garlic brown. Stir in tomatoes and turn down to low heat, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional salt and pepper, to taste.

2. While sauce is cooking, bring 6 quarts well-salted water to boil and cook penne according to package directions, until al dente. Drain well. 

3. Add drained pasta to the sauce, stirring to coat. Add vodka and toss. Add cream and toss, again. Cover, reduce to simmer, and leave for a couple minutes to allow pasta to absorb sauce. Top with cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.

A Practically Perfect Chocolate Cupcake

    I've long awaited the day I'd land on a solid chocolate cupcake recipe. Nothing flashy or over the top. Just a simple, moist, down-to-earth chocolate cupcake. As mentioned in my last post, I think that day came last week. I practiced a few rounds of these, shared them with friends, and think they just might fit the bill. These have a perfectly light crumb, are moist to my liking (which says a lot), and offer a deep enough chocolate flavor to satisfy the greatest of chocolate lovers, though not too dark to run off the kids. I think they're pretty great. Having had requests for the recipe frequently since I made them, I'd assume others agree!
    To top these off (pun intended), I also settled on the vanilla buttercream frosting. I'm a picky icing girl. I can't stand the buttery film the majority leave coating my mouth. Nor am I fond of the type so grossly sweet it makes my teeth hurt. I think this one's spot on: light, not-too-sweet, not-too-buttery/filmy. A little added whipped cream makes all the difference. I tried it out a few different ways--once as a plain vanilla, then as a mint buttercream, and finally as a peanut butter frosting (killer). Oh, and I (finally) bought a few piping tools and got to exercising my mad decorating skills (right…lots to learn). There's nothing so fun as creating dozens of lovely, lofty icing swirls. You can, however, simply shmear the icing on with a knife, or even cut a small hole in the end of a ziplock bag and pipe the icing through there. Piping tools are readily available at your local craft store, and even most groceries, though, if you feel like going the extra mile. Give it a go and let me know what you think! I'm pretty sure these will rock your world.

A Practically Perfect Chocolate Cupcake

adapted from this recipe

yields 2 dozen cupcakes (or 1 round, 2-layer cake)

ingredients: 

1-3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken and at room temp

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temp

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup very hot water

buttercream frosting (recipe below)

directions:

1. Fill cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside (If making cake, butter two round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter again). Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into large bowl and stir carefully until combined.

3. In smaller bowl, stir buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla just until combined.

4. With mixer on low speed, gradually add wet ingredients to the dry, scraping the bottom of the bowl and mixing only until the dry is just incorporated. Add hot water in and stir a few times to combine. Batter will be runny.

5. Using a 1/4 cup measure or a cookie dough scoop (or what have you), fill paper-lined tins half-way and bake for approximately 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops are springy, yet sticky to touch. Let cool entirely before icing (If making cake, pour batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about 5 minutes in pans, then invert onto racks and let cool completely before frosting.).

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting 

(with suggested variations including mint and peanut butter)

adapted from Gale Gand's recipe

yields enough to heavily frost 2 dozen cupcakes or a two layer cake

ingredients:

4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

2 cups butter, room temp*

2 teaspoons vanilla extract**

4 tablespoons whipping cream

a good pinch of salt

*sub 1 cup of peanut butter for 1 cup of the plain butter to make peanut butter frosting

**sub 1/8-1/4 teaspoon mint extract in place of equal amount of vanilla to make mint frosting

directions: 

1. Cream butter and sugar on low speed until combined, then beat on medium speed for several minutes (the time here is crucial in order to obtain a lighter frosting, so don't skimp.)

2. Add vanilla, cream, and salt and beat on medium speed for another couple minutes, adding more cream if you want an even lighter consistency (here's where you would add food coloring, too, if you'd like).